1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a communications apparatus, a recording system, a communications system, and methods therefor, and more specifically to a recording apparatus, a communications apparatus, a recording system, a communications system, and methods therefor which can restrict an image-capturing or sound recording process performed by the recording apparatus at an instruction of another communications apparatus, or set a reproducing condition and an image-capturing condition by automatically recognizing a user of the communications apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional camera leaves to an operator the determination as to whether or not image-capturing is permitted. Therefore, an image can be actually taken where image-capturing is prohibited.
Furthermore, the conventional sound recording device leaves to a user the determination as to whether or not recording is permitted. Therefore, a sound recording process can be actually performed where sound recording is prohibited.
As described above, there has been the problem that no effective restricting method can be used when common people are prohibited from image-capturing, for example, important cultural assets, etc., or when taking images of works of art, etc. using a flash is prohibited.
Additionally, there has been the problem that no effective prohibiting or restricting method can be used when common people are prohibited from recording sound of performances, for example, in a concert hall, etc.
In addition, copyrighted articles such as works of art, etc. are in many cases prohibited from being freely image-captured from the viewpoint of the protection of copyright. To have common people observe such restrictions, guards are assigned to watch an important place, people behave themselves, etc., but restrictions and regulations have not been completely observed.
Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 10-98765, 10-107875 and 10-243462 disclose the method of prohibiting the transmission of a signal using a portable telephone, etc.
Furthermore, there has conventionally been a method of obtaining permission to enter a strictly managed room using a key, an ID card, etc. Relating to a device such as a cash dispenser, etc., a user inputs a user ID card carried by the user and his or her own password memorized by the user to use the device. In addition, there has been a method of permitting or restricting the use of computers communicating with each other through a network by specifying a user by transmitting the account on the slave side and a unique password to the master side. In the local wireless communications technology, both communicators hold access keys to their own communications connection devices so that subsequent communications can be easily established.
Furthermore, the method of authenticating a person by capturing the physical characteristics such as the retina, fingerprints, etc. is generally known, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-342333 discloses the personal authentication device capable of improving the precision in authenticating a finger image of low density.
Additionally, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-313237 discloses a digital camera and an image transmission system, to prevent the image transmitted from a digital camera from being viewed by an uncertain person on the reception side, provided with an authentication information addition device which adds a password or the information corresponding to it to the image data to be transmitted when the image is transmitted from the digital camera.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-313237 discloses an image processing device capable of easily specifying a user through an authentication medium and enhancing the security of image data depending on the authentication check result of a user, and capable of restricting the function available to the user.
However, since a camera does not normally have the function of authenticating a user, an image captured by a specific person can be freely viewed by others when a plurality of persons take images using cameras. Therefore, an image taken by a person can be viewed by other users.
The conventional method of specifying a person using a key, an ID card, a password, and an authentication medium requires a complicated operation when it is applied to a camera because it requests a user to perform an operation or input any data.
Furthermore, there has been the problem with a method of specifying a person according to a physical characteristic that it requires a complicated operation of presenting a physical characteristic such as a fingerprint, retina, etc. to the device, and that the authenticating device provided exclusively for the camera degrades the portability of the camera.